Lisa Knapp always wanted to work in TV, but at first she’d hoped to be in front of the camera.

“I actually wanted to be an actress, but that went away when I was in my early 20s,” said Knapp, who performed in community theater while attending Cerritos High School.

But she later found herself uncomfortable on stage, so after graduating from California State University, Northridge with a degree in communications, Knapp embarked on a career in television production.

Studio City-based 44 Blue Productions Inc. recently named the entertainment industry veteran head of development, focusing on reality programming. Knapp is currently working on a documentary about pit bulls Animal Planet and a new program for VH1.

Before joining 44 Blue, she had produced series programming for Studios USA/Universal and VH1, where she developed and was executive producer on her favorite project, “Bands Reunited.” On the show, members of such popular ’80s-era bands such as A Flock of Seagulls and Frankie Goes to Hollywood were tracked down in order to organize a reunion and performance.

“It was a labor of love,” Knapp said. “The show worked with bands of my era and the music of the ’80s and it resonated with a lot of people.”

Other programs she has worked on include ABC’s “The Bachelor: Where Are They Now?” and VH1’s “Ambushed,” on which unsuspecting musicians audition for popular bands.

“I think that there is still new ground to be broken in reality television. The challenge is finding the hook,” Knapp said. “I enjoy the storytelling aspect of it. I just love taking a little microsociety and showing people what they wouldn’t normally see.”

Television is a tough industry to work in, but she credits her father, Gaylord Knapp, with instilling in her a strong work ethic.

Knapp’s father passed away last year from Huntington’s disease, a genetic neurological disorder that impairs physical control and mental faculties. She now serves on the board of the Huntington Disease Society of America, which promotes awareness of the disease, and organizes fundraisers to benefit those with the condition.

Knapp lives in Marina del Rey and is busy planning her wedding to her fianc & #233;, Chris Davis, who works for A & E;’s scripted programming department. In her spare time, she surfs and reads two or three books a week. A current favorite is “Q & A;,” the book on which film “Slumdog Millionaire” was based.

Alexandra Hinojosa